Chapter 11
The rain seemed to be coming down even harder as Martha, Kevv, Taran and the Doctor made their way back to the warren entrance. The Time Lord hadn't said a single word as they moved through the mud; Martha cast a glance a quick glance at him sadly. He was the most amazing person she had ever met, even in the short amount of time she'd been travelling with him he'd saved thousands. Yet those he failed to save, even the smallest creature to the most intelligent of species haunted him.
Right now he stared ahead through the hazy rain, his eyes as hard as steel a look of grim determination on his face. Martha suppressed a shudder, pulling her leather jacket closer around herself. Not that it mattered much she was already soaked to the skin. She had been worried that the locals might try to stop them as they made their way through the winding streets, but the village was empty.
The storm broke fully as they reached the reed mat entrance and stepping ahead Taran disappeared inside. The others dutifully followed him without a word, crouching down as they reached the narrower part of the tunnel and proceeding on hands and knees. A few seconds later they reached the wider cavern, the children who called it home looked up as the newcomers entered but nothing more than that. Apparently they had decided to follow Kikari's leadership and decided these new strange adults were not a threat.
Turning Taran headed back inside the tunnel pausing to glance at the Doctor and the others.
"I have to go back Tori will be looking for me."
"What's going on here?" The Doctor suddenly asked him sharply.
Taran looked startled but he met the Doctor's gaze evenly, his pale features thrown half into shadow by the flickering candles.
"Nothing stranger, I am almost an adult and duty bound to serve Chief Tori."His face seemed to harden as he spoke.
Stepping forward the Doctor thrust his face right up close to the boys. "Soooo what? You agree with this?" He flung his arm around pointing at the large cavern and the multitude of young Lir dotted around it.
"Children driven underground, starving to death, having to steal food just to survive and you agree with that?"
The sound of the strike seemed to echo around the cavern with a dull thump and the Doctor stepped backwards holding his jaw. Taran's face was livid as he stared at the Time Lord, a low growl rumbling in the back of his throat.
"YOU KNOW NOTHING; I DO THIS BECAUSE I HAVE TO, AND YET YOU STAND THERE STRANGER AND ACCUSE ME OF NOT CARING ABOUT THE YOUNG ONES?"
He seemed to compose himself and lowered his voice.
"I do all I can to help them Doctor, I am a child no longer and yet I risk everything everyday to bring them food, blankets anything I can to help them survive. Now Kikari has been taken and I have to go to her now before the ritual!"
The white haired Lir turned and entered the tunnel without a backward glance.
Martha swallowed as a shiver suddenly ran down her back.
"Doctor what's he talking about?" She glanced at her friend questioningly.
"Pure blood will be spilt..." The Doctor murmured remembering the conversation he'd had with the entity in the prison vessel.
"What does that mean?" Kevv spoke up not liking where this was going. He was already unsettled by the tall man, he was completely different to how he'd first seemed when they'd met in the prison older and darker.
"What's going on Doctor?" Martha nudged his arm gently. "What happened in the temple?"
"The Lir have a Yokainian prison vessel inside the temple."
"That's bad is it?" She asked slowly already knowing the answer.
"Just a bit bad yeah, you see the vessel has a prisoner inside it, and the only way to free it is to spill the blood of a pure soul onto it."
"Ok so what's inside the prison, is it anything to do with that teleport thing?" Kevv wanted to know."
The Doctor glanced at him as if only just realising he was there and a slow smile spread across his face.
"Oh... Oh that's brilliant of course Molte bene!" His eyes lit up and he started pacing frantically ignoring the strange stares he was getting from the children around them.
"That's how it got here, the teleport. You see the Yokai don't kill their prisoners they simply seal them inside their compact little prison ships attach a teleport beacon to it and then whoosh off it goes to who knows where to become someone else's problem. Although I say problem normally it wouldn't be a problem that is, if you don't think jettisoning prison ships into space is a problem."
"So why is sending prisons with dangerous prisoners into space not a problem?" Martha queried.
"Because normally whatever is sealed inside can't communicate with the outside world, but the thing in the one that landed here has managed just that. The prison must have been damaged when it arrived here, splitting apart as it hit atmosphere. The prison landed here and the teleport..."
"Landed on Sol!" Kevv finished for him.
"Yup that's about it, give that man a banana and our friend inside the prison has told chief boy Tori exactly how to release it."
"The blood of a pure hearted soul...Oh my god." Martha covered her mouth with her hand feeling suddenly sick.
"Kevv me old son?"
Kevv nodded as the Doctor suddenly addressed him.
"Time to hand over my Sonic Screwdriver."
Kevv swallowed. "Ahh."
"What do you mean ahh? Ahh is never good why did you say ahh?"
The Doctor stared hard at him one eyebrow raised, he could read the expression on the humans face and he didn't like what it was saying.
"You do still have it don't you?"
"Would you be mad if I said no?"
The second eyebrow rose to meet the first one.
"What!
"It was an accident I swear I didn't mean too..."
"My sonic screwdriver, I trusted you with my sonic screwdriver and you lost it?"
Kevv nodded slowly. "...Sorry..."
"Doctor?"
Martha who had been staring out into the throng of children and their dragons now tapped him on the arm.
"Martha he lost my sonic screwdriver! I love my sonic screwdriver and he lost it, it's gone, caput, vanished!"
"Doctor!" Martha said again more urgently this time.
He spun around to her his gaze sweeping the cavern and the horde of children and animals there. Taking in their softly glowing red eyes and the look of hatred on their small faces he swallowed...
"Ahhh... see there's the ahh again never good when someone says ahh told you so!"
Martha grabbed his hand stopping his babbling mid flow and pulled him back towards the tunnel.
"RUUUN!"
To be continued
Just out of interest would you guys want to see another Doctor Who story from me once DDR is finished?
